Compositions for incendiary devices are well known in the art. For example, in McCormick, U.S. Pat. No. 224,203, a lamp wick saturated in a solution of nitrate of potash and alum is disclosed. In Haase, U.S. Pat. No. 807,553, a method is disclosed for facilitating lighting of candles and tapers made of stearin, wax, paraffin or other suitable material. The method comprises dipping the free end of the wick material, which will not be embedded in the candle substance, in a solution of celluloid in acetone.
In Grosvenor et al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,430,543, a lighter wick is disclosed for cigars, cigarettes, and pipes in which a suitable "tow wick" is made with an adjusted quality and quantity of fat material. An oxidizing agent which may include nitrates and chlorates is disclosed to promote combustion.
In Fox et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,233, a lead-free candle composition is disclosed which comprises a combustible wick composition comprising a combustible wick and a stiffening agent. The stiffening agent comprises a wax-insoluble polymer or copolymer having a Vicat softening point of at least 2.5.degree. C. higher than the melting point of the candle wax. Examples of suitable stiffening agents mentioned include polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polystyrenes, styrene-acrylate copolymers, styrene-methacrylate copolymers, nitrocellulose and derivatives thereof. Polymethylmethacrylate and polystyrene are mentioned as being excellently suited as the stiffening agents. The Fox et al. candle compositions comprise about 75-95 weight percent of a wicking material and 5-25 weight percent of a stiffening agent.
The problem with many of the prior art compositions for incendiary devices is that the compositions result in the emission of harmful or noxious gases. Further, many prior art compositions do not enable a controlled burning of the wick of the candle or other incendiary device. It would therefore be advantageous to provide a composition for incendiary devices which would burn completely at a controlled burn rate with no harmful gases being emitted during or after burning.